-
1492
Columbus "discovers" America
Sails from Spain to find India, but lands in America. -
1519
Hernando Cortez
-Claimed new colonies for Spain
-Conquered the Aztec Empire
(Most Aztecs died from Smallpox and Measles) -
1532
Francisco Pizarro
-Claimed new colonies for Spain
-Conquered the Inca Empire in Peru -
1539
Hernan de Soto
-Assisted Pizarro with the conquest of the Inca
-First to discover and cross the Mississippi River -
Period: 1565 to
Spain (Settled)
Viceroys - governors who ruled in the name of the Crown – initially Cortez
-Conquered the Native Americans and establish New Spain
-Land divided into states called encomiendas
-Harsh, forced labor system in which Native Americans farmed, ranched or mined
-Spanish settlers and Native Americans intermarried, creating a mixed race called Mestizos. -
Period: to
England
Sir Walter Raleigh, John White, Virginia Dare
-Roanoke - 1st attempt at English settlement - “The Lost Colony”
-Founded on Roanoke Island off the coast of NC
*Virginia Dare – first baby born in America to English parents
*Captain: John White sailed back to England for supplies.
(granddaughter of John White)
*When he returned, he found the settlement empty.
*The word “CROATOAN” was carved into a tree. -
France
-Samuel de Champlain *Dutch West India Company
-New France - along the St.Lawrence River and the Great Lakes
-Quebec, Montreal - Canada
-Detroit (Michigan), New Orleans (Louisiana)
-Only Catholics allowed in the new territory, except for French protestants
-Became fur traders
-All decisions made by the monarch of France - no self government -
Dutch Republic
Peter Minuit
-New Amsterdam - Hudson River
-New York City, Albany, Long Island, New Jersey
-Offered huge land tracts called patroonships.
-Obtained by bringing 50 tenants to the colony
-Few restrictions on who could settle in New Amsterdam - kept settlers from being attracted to the area. -
Fort Duquesne
the French built Fort Duquesne at the point where the Ohio River forms (Modern Pittsburg) -
Industrial Revolution
Birth of modern industry and the social changes that accompanied it
-Began in Great Britain
- The Northern part of American becomes industrialized and manufacturing based
Factory system
Revolutionized American in both the North and the South
Northern economy based on industry
Southern economy based on slavery (plantations) -
Proclamation of 1763
Forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains and put the territory under British military control. -
Boston Massacre
A clash between British troops and townspeople in Boston in 1770. -
Lexington and Concord
British General Thomas Gage sent 700 soldiers to destroy guns & ammunition the colonists had stored in the town of Concord, just outside of Boston. -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War was fought from 1775 to 1783. It was also known as the American War of Independence. The Revolutionary War began with the confrontation between British troops and local militia at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, on 19 April 1775. -
Declaration of Independence
Listed all of the colonists' grievances against the Crown; explained why they were declaring independence.
Proclaimed the USA was forevermore a free nation. -
Land Ordinance of 1785
Congress sold land to make money
Divided land into 36-square-mile units with Unit 16 set aside for schools
Divided the Ohio Territory -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
*Created guidelines for states to admitted
At 5,000 settlers, territory could send a non-voting representative to Congress
At 60,000 settlers, territory could apply for statehood -
Judiciary Act of 1789
No details for a court system in the Constitution
Federal law remained the “Supreme Law of the Land”
Washington wanted to set up a federal court system headed by a Supreme Court
Chief justice, five associate justices
More justices added over time -
Textile Mills
First textile mills in America were opened by Samuel Slater in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1791 -
Jay’s Treaty - 1794
British began stopping US ships bound for France and impressing seamen (taking US sailors captive and forcing them to serve the British)
Intended to hurt the French, but hurt US trade
Chief Justice John Jay went to Britain and returned with a treaty
British agreed to stop impressing US sailors and to evacuate the NW Territory
Get the British out of the west
Western settlers were angry - the treaty allowed the British to continue in the fur trade on the American side of the US-Canadian border -
Pinckney’s Treaty - 1795
-Spain afraid of alliance between Great Britain and the US
-Spain barred the US from the lower part of the Mississippi River and the Port of New Orleans
-US needed Mississippi River to transport goods
Pinckney’s Treaty
Opened up the southern part of the Mississippi River and New Orleans
Established the northern border between Spanish Florida and the US -
Election of 1796
Thomas Jefferson (Democratic Republican) v. John Adams (Federalist)
John Adams elected as the 2nd president
Thomas Jefferson - his political rival, becomes Vice President
Federalist President
Democratic Republican Vice President
Constitution did not call for separate Electoral votes for president and vice president
Federalist Era -
Convention of 1800
-Meeting between United States and France over the Quasi-Wars - conflict in the Caribbean over shipping and trade
-Hostility between US and France following the XYZ Affair
Convention of 1800 resolved the conflict between US and France - delicate balance with no alliance to avoid war with Great Britain
End of any US foreign alliance for another 100 years
US Neutrality -
Second Great Awakening
Second Great Awakening
Tent meetings
A large religious movement swept the nation
Supported reforms in America
Began around 1800
Revivals led by Charles G. Finney -
Embargo Act of 1807
-British impressments of US sailors continued, in spite of Jay’s Treaty
-British blockading US ships bound for France
-US did not want to get involved with problems between Britain and France
-President Jefferson declared an embargo(no trade) with Britain and France
Jefferson’s alternative to war
Believed it would hurt Britain and other European countries and force them to accept American Neutrality
Embargo actually hurt America more than Britain
Very unpopular, mistake for Jefferson -
War of 1812
Causes of the War: British military aid to Native Americans on the frontier, British impressments of American sailors - Jay’s Treaty, Embargo Act - Jefferson’s alternative to war, War Hawks - Pushed for war with Great Britain
Treaty of Ghent: Ended the War of 1812 - no gains for either side, Land boundaries returned to the prewar status -
Panic of 1819
US faced widespread economic problems
Foreclosures
Bank failures
Unemployment
Slump in agriculture and manufacturing -
McCullough v. Maryland
1819 - Supreme Court (John Marshall) ruled
that Congress had the right to establish a
national bank under the Necessary and
Proper (Elastic) Clause of the Constitution
Power of federal government over state
government -
Adams Onis Treaty
Secretary of State - John Quincy Adams
Negotiated a treaty with Spain - 1819
US acquired Florida and established a firm
boundary between the Louisiana Territory
(US territory through the Louisiana
Purchase) and Spanish territory in the west -
Missouri Compromise
The extension of slavery into new territories divides North and South - conflict over state’s rights; Northern economy based on manufacturing; Southern economy based on slavery - “cotton kingdom”; Needed a balance of slave and free states to maintain the sectional balance; Maine = free state; Missouri = slave state; Remaining Louisiana Territory split into - 2 parts for slaveholders & free settlers
North of the line (except Missouri), slavery was banned
South of the line, slavery was legal -
Monroe Doctrine
-Doctrine issued by President Monroe
-Stated the US would not tolerate European intervention in the affairs of any independent nation in the Americas
-1823 - Stated American continents were no
longer open to colonization - US would view
any attempt as an act of aggression
-Stated that the US would not interfere in the
affairs of other nations
-Europe should stay out of western
hemisphere -
Gibbons v. Ogden
Supreme Court (John Marshall) ruled that only Congress had the power to regulate interstate commerce and foreign trade -
Election of 1824 – “corrupt bargain”
Evidence of sectional differences within the US
John Quincy Adams v. Andrew Jackson - both were Democratic Republicans
Neither candidate received a majority of electoral votes in the Electoral College
The House of Representatives decided the election
Henry Clay, Speaker of the House, threw his support to John Quincy Adams, and Adams was elected president
Adams named Henry Clay his Secretary of
State - Jackson called the election a “corrupt
bargain” -
New Harmony Utopia
Share everything, live in harmony -
Erie Canal
Opened in 1825
Increase in trade, decrease in shipping rates and shipping time
Connected the Great Lakes with the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean -
Election of 1828
Andrew Jackson elected president
Jackson defeated Adams in part as a result of the Tariff of Abominations -
Tariff of Abominations
1828 - Protective tariff designed to protect northern manufacturing from competition from cheaper British imports
Upset the south - detrimental to the southern cotton economy
British threatened to seek cotton in other markets due to the high cost of the tariff -
Indian Removal Act
1830 - Congress passed the Indian Removal Act - authorized the removal of Native Americans from the SE United States -
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
Virginia
-Led by a slave - Nat Turner - rebellion was a failure
- 1831 - Caused the south to strengthen slave codes (laws restricting activities and conduct of slaves) -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Virginia
-Led by a slave - Nat Turner - rebellion was a failure
-Caused the south to strengthen slave codes (laws restricting activities and conduct of slaves) -
William Lloyd Garrison
Founded The Liberator, an anti-slavery newspaper - 1831
Used the freedom of press to get his message out. -
Election of 1832
Pet banks a key issue of this election
Jackson won re-election
Portrayed the national banks as institutions for the wealthy, rich, and powerful - “pet banks” -
Worcester v. Georgia
Worcester v. Georgia - 1832
The Cherokee appealed to the US Supreme Court
Court ruled that the Cherokee had a right to remain on their land and could not be forcibly removed -
SC Nullification Crisis
South Carolina began protesting the Tariff of Abominations - high tariffs on British imports
-SC Senator John C. Calhoun - wrote a pamphlet called SC Exposition and Protest
- Called for state’s rights - states can nullify laws they feel are unconstitutional (Remember Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions?)
1832 - SC threatened to secede if the tariffs were not repealed -
Trail of Tears
President Jackson ignored the court’s decision
Troops sent to round up Cherokee and move them to Oklahoma
800 mile march in 1835
Over a quarter of the Cherokee died from disease, starvation, and weather exposure -
Election of 1836
Martin Van Buren (Democrat) elected president over William Henry Harrison (Anti-Masonic) -
Election of 1840
Martin Van Buren - incumbent Democrat
William Henry Harrison - Whig
Won the election
Died one month after he was inaugurated
VP John Tyler becomes President -
The National Road
Completed in 1841
Stretched 800 miles west
By 1840, a network of roads connected most of the cities and towns in the US
Promoted travel and trade—AND SETTLEMENT OF THE WEST! -
Brook Farm Utopia
Based on transcendentalism -
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
Signed in 1842 by Daniel Webster of US and Lord Ashburton of Great Britain
Established the United States’ northern border with Canada in Maine and Minnesota -
Polk Elected
Won by Democrat James K. Polk - first “dark horse” winner in US history
Election of 1844
Won due to Whig opponent Henry Clay’s avoidance of the issue of annexation of Texas and Oregon
Called for the annexation of both Texas and Oregon -
Wilmot Proviso
Pennsylvania Congressman David Wilmot came up with a proviso, or condition
1846 - Proposed banning slavery from any land purchased from Mexico
Upset the Southern states
Not approved -
Sewing Machine
Elias Howe had the first patent on a sewing machine in the United States in 1846
Helped to increase the speed of manufacturing of textiles -
Wilmot Proviso
Pennsylvania Congressman David Wilmot came up with a proviso or condition
1846 - Proposed banning slavery from any land purchased from Mexico
Upset the Southern states
Not approved -
Period: to
Mexican War
-Mexico upset over US annexation of Texas
-Polk sent troops to Texas border to settle US-Mexico border dispute and to negotiate the purchase of California and New Mexico
-Mexican president refused to talk, and war soon followed
-Congress declared war on May 12, 1846 - Mexico eventually surrendered
-War was ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
Called for the Mexican Cession -
Mexican Cession
Result of Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended Mexican War
1848 - Mexico gave up New Mexico and California territories to the United States in exchange for payment -
Election of 1848
Zachary Taylor (Whig) elected President over Lewis Cass (Democrat) and Martin Van Buren (Free-Soil) -
Oneida Utopia
Every man married to every woman - “free love’ -
Seneca Falls Convention
Stanton called for women to be given the right to vote
Seneca Falls Convention
first women’s rights convention -
California Gold Rush
Gold was discovered in California in 1848
California enters the union as a free state due to the Compromise of 1850
People rushed to California to “get rich quick” - they became known as “49’ers”
Huge population increase -
California Gold Rush
California enters the union as a free state due to the Compromise of 1850
Gold was discovered in California in 1848
People rushed to California to “get rich quick” - they became known as “49’ers”
Huge population increase -
Gold Rush
Gold Rush of 1849 – Settlers moving west in search for gold
Called ’49’ers
Comstock Lode
1859 - the Richest discovery of ores in history
Nevada
Silver Mines -
Compromise of 1850
With the acquisition of the Mexican territory, the extension of slavery once again becomes an issue
Henry Clay offers a compromise to maintain balance between the free and slave states
California admitted as a free state
Unorganized territories declared free
Utah and New Mexico territories were to decide the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty
People in these areas could decide on the issue of slavery for themselves -
Death of President Taylor
President Zachary Taylor died of cholera
VP Millard Fillmore became President -
Election of 1852
Franklin Pierce (Democrat) elected president over Winfield Scott (Whig) and John P. Hale (Free-Soil) -
Gadsden Purchase
Gave the United States parts of New Mexico and Arizona for $10 million from Mexico
1853 - Land purchased to run a transcontinental railroad
Manifest Destiny complete! -
Gadsden Purchase
Gave the United States parts of New Mexico and Arizona for $10 million from Mexico
1853 - Land purchased to run a transcontinental railroad
Manifest Destiny complete! -
Know-Nothings
Also known as the American Party
Wanted to rid the country of immigrants and alcohol
Became part of the Republican Party after 1856 -
Election of 1856
James Buchanan (Democrat) elected president over John C. Fremont (Republicans) and Millard Fillmore (Whig & American {Know-Nothings} -
Comstock Lode
1859 - Richest discovery of ores in history
Nevada
Silver Mines -
Election of 1860
Douglas, Lincoln, Breckinridge run
Lincoln wins the election with no southern electoral votes
Pledges to stop the spread of slavery but to not interfere in the south -
Fort Sumter – First Shots Fired
Union soldiers had one month of supplies remaining at Ft. Sumter, SC
Lincoln sent food for the troops, but before it arrived, Confederate soldiers opened fire
Union troops surrendered the following day
Civil War begins!!!!!!!!! -
First Battle of Bull Run
AKA – Manassas
First battle between the Union and Confederate army
Watched by citizens
CONFEDERATE VICTORY -
Secession
As a result of Lincoln’s victory in the Election of 1860, southern states begin to secede from the union.
Secede = withdrawal
South Carolina was the first state to secede on December 20, 1860
By February 1861, six other states joined them: Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Texas -
Homestead Act
Settlers moving west for land
-Purpose: Encourage settlement of the Plains
1862 - Anyone who would agree to cultivate 160 acres of land for 5 years would receive title to that land from the federal government -
Homestead Act
Settlers moving west for land
Purpose: Encourage settlement of the Plains
1862 - Anyone who would agree to cultivate 160 acres of land for 5 years would receive title to that land from the federal government -
Morrill Land Grant Act
Distributed millions of acres of western territory to state governments
1862 - States used money from sale of land to finance agricultural colleges -
Antietam
Antietam Creek, Maryland
Bloodiest single day of the war
23,000 killed in one day
UNION VICTORY for McClellan -
Vicksburg
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Union wanted control of the Mississippi River
UNION VICTORY -
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Large number of Union casualties
CONFEDERATE VICTOR -
Morrill Land Grant Act
Distributed millions of acres of western territory to state governments
1862 - States used money from sale of land to finance agricultural colleges -
Chancellorsville, Virginia
Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson killed
CONFEDERATE VICTORY -
Emancipation Proclamation
Issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863
Freed the slaves in the Confederate states while preserving slavery in the border states that were still loyal to the union
Encouraged free African Americans to serve in the army
Lincoln hoped to give the war a moral purpose – “preserve the Union”
Hoped to undermine the South’s reliance on slave labor
Ensure the support of England and France -
Ulysses S. Grant
Initially in charge of the western forces; general who assumed command of the Union army -
Election of 1864
Lincoln in danger of not being reelected
Some northerners upset over the war
Democrats nominated George McClellan – former Union general to run for president
Sherman’s capture of Atlanta showed non believers the war was close to being over
Lincoln elected to a second term -
Appomattox – End of the War
Grant surrounds Lee outside of Richmond, Virginia
Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Court House – Virginia
End of the Civil War!!! -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Congress passed with the intention of giving citizenship rights to African Americans
Johnson vetoed it
Congress gave an override
Instead passed the 14th Amendment
Guaranteed no person, regardless of race, would be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law
Guaranteed citizenship for all people in the United States -
Election of 1872
Ulysses S. Grant (Republican) reelected president over Horace Greeley (Democratic) -
Election of 1876
Grant’s administration surrounded by corruption (Whiskey Ring, Credit Mobilier)
Samuel Tilden (Democrat) v. Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican)
Election contested – results in some states disputed – results unclear
Compromise of 1877 settled the issue of the winner -
Compromise of 1877
Democrats agreed to give Hayes the presidency
Hayes elected as President
Republicans agreed to end Reconstruction in the South -
Oklahoma Land Rush
People were given land in Oklahoma to encourage settlement
Settlers came rushing from all around to claim land
Native Americans forced off the land
